LOGINARAH
She hurried outside and spotted the twins sprinting with their mother. One of the male hunters seemed to dissolve into the air, only to reappear in front of them, cutting off their escape. The girls froze, their gasps sharp and panicked as they stumbled back. The other hunter sauntered toward them. He was calm, as though he already knew they had nowhere left to run.
The mother quickly shifted the girls behind her, edging them to the side. Fear and desperati
ARAHEENGildeon’s body was already stretched to its limits. If she didn’t act soon, he would be in real danger.Yadira and Eitan supported her decision. It was Kohina, surprisingly, who opposed her plan to shut down the Prisoner Sigil, arguing that this was not what Gildeon would have wanted.“He put himself in that situation so you wouldn’t end up in Zephyr’s hands,” Kohina added.“And if he dies, I won’t be able to live anyway!” she snapped, her lips trembling.Silence fell over them.Araheen drew a steady breath. “I’m doing it whether you agree or not,” she said, finality in her tone. Then she sank onto her heels and placed a hand at the back of Gildeon’s neck. Kohina said nothing more and allowed her to work.She drew on her power, and the sigil began to glow. Closing her eyes, she reached into its depths, like forcing open a vault seale
GILDEONHe lay at the grassy edge of the riverbank. Araheen sprawled over him, her body draped along his. Heat bled from him, drying the water on both of them, spreading through her until her shivers eased.This was peace—her blue hair damp against his skin, her cheek resting on the steady rise and fall of his chest.The feel of her made him forget the world burning down around them.“I could get used to this,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to his chest. “I won’t feel cold anymore.”His hand moved along her spine, fingers tracing each ridge with care. “Long as you keep ending up naked on me like this.”She rolled her eyes at him, and he let out a low, amused breath.Araheen reached for her phoenix dagger resting at their side.“I haven’t seen you use that yet,” he commented.She planted the tip into the ground and spun it lazily between he
ARAHEENThe night deepened, and they decided to rest where they were. Kohina placed sigils on the surrounding trees to cloak their aura and scent. It wasn’t strong—given her condition—but at least, compared to sylph sigils, seer sigils blended with nature. Even if trailhounds were nearby, they would struggle to distinguish the scent of her seer power.Everyone fell asleep except Araheen.She made her way toward the river, drawn by the soft murmur of water cutting through the night. The full moon hung high above, its pale light spilling across the clearing and glinting off the surface like scattered silver.She undressed by the bank, drove her sigil needle and phoenix dagger into the trunk of a nearby tree, then stepped into the water.Araheen had already expected it to be cold, but fortunately, she was able to bear it. The river was mild, almost soothing, the current slow and steady as it curled around her legs. S
ARAHEENGildeon shadow-walked them to the mountain. It was only a temporary stop to find food and rest before moving on.While Kohina handed Gildeon spare clothes she had grabbed just before they left the Mad End’s Wall, Araheen took the chance to speak to the two salamanders alone.“I know you’re only here because of your loyalty to Gildeon,” she began. “But truthfully, I wouldn’t be surprised if you chose to side with General Markaus and handed me over to Zephyr after everything I put you through.”“Don’t flatter yourself.” Yadira snorted, sitting on a tree stump as she fixed the strap of her boot. “It’s not the first time enemies have tortured us.”Araheen blinked. “You’ve been captured by sylphs before?”Yadira and Eitan exchanged a brief, unreadable glance, but neither answered.After a moment, Yadira leveled her with an impassive look. “Listen, just because we’re helping you run away from that lunatic sylph clai
ARAHEENShe remembered General Markaus’s face just before everything went black. This memory pulled her back to what Kohina had said before—that the Vulkar’s Rod would allow Araheen to see him.Clearly, the general had been there.Right outside the Grand Castle.Her frown deepened, confusion crossing her face. “You didn’t know about that alliance?”“We had no idea, Araheen,” Kohina said truthfully. “General Markaus’s seer, Tesira, told me about it back at the tower. I don’t approve of it, and I know Gildeon wouldn’t either. I escaped before they could contain me, once they realized I wouldn’t cooperate.” She drew a breath. “Believe me, we were not informed.”Araheen stared at the dry ground. “Why would your general ally with Zephyr?”“Because Zephyr swore to leave us alone.” Gildeon slowly pushed him
ARAHEENConsciousness returned in fragments. A dull ringing filled her ears, as if something had shattered inside her skull. Her body felt heavy, as though she had been struck by something massive and left buried beneath it.What had happened? Memories flashed through her mind—her running back to the castle, aiming for the war command chamber. The heat. The fire. The explosion. Her brooch vibrating, cracking—a surge of protective power enveloping her as the shockwave hurled her away.Araheen tried to move. Nothing responded. Her muscles were weak, and her arms were bound behind her, aching with a deep, numbing strain. Her head lolled to the side, curls falling across her face, her vision blurred and swimming.For a moment, she stayed like that, breathing shallowly, waiting for the haze to clear. When it did, Kohina’s face came into view. She was sitting in front of her.“You’re finally awake,” th
GILDEONThat afternoon, after his last class was canceled, he felt an urge to swing by Roselia’s place. The witch had returned. He could sense her energy pulsing faintly from the workshop. Confirming it through his dragon sight, he strode straight inside.The smell
GILDEONHe didn’t like how the sylph dodged his question. His jaw tensed, ready to press him for an answer, but the blue-haired man beat him to it.“I’ll explain everything once Araheen is safe,” the sylph said, turning his back without waiting for a response.Gildeon felt his lieutenants glance at
ARAHShe wanted to run after Mabel and explain herself, but Cora grabbed her arm, shaking her head.“Give her time,” she said. “What you told her isn’t something she’s going to believe right away. Besides, you just admitted to making her a widow on her wedding night
ARAHHer hand flew to his shoulder with the intent to push him away, but it faltered. Her fingers curled instead, gripping muscle, then slid up to his neck, where his skin was hot beneath her palm. The kiss sharpened instantly. It was insistent, mouths moving with purpose, breath tangling between t







